Dozens of female students and residents in and around the immediate environs of University of Education Winneba (UEW) on Thursday got screened for breast cancer as part of the launch of the “Pinktober” month.
Pinktober month is a social campaign platform launched by the Department of Strategic Communication, School of Communication and Media Studies of the UEW as part of activities to mark this year’s breast cancer awareness month celebration.
The month of October has been set aside to draw attention to the effects of breast cancer globally and to localise it, the department had instituted the “Pinktober” month as a social campaign platform to help draw attention to the disease in the country.
This year’s campaign is on the theme: “Together we can” and organised in collaboration with the Trust Hospital, Accra.
It offered the platform for awareness creation on the effects of breast cancer, educate students on the symptoms, risk factors and treatments available for it.
Launching the event, the Head of Department, Strategic Communication, Dr Mavis Amo-Mensah said the fight against breast cancer required a concerted effort which would require the contribution of all stakeholders.
She noted the theme for this year’s celebration “Together we can” was not only apt but timely since the issue of breast cancer required the inputs of all.
Dr Amo-Mensah said Pinktober month was a platform instituted by the Strategic Communication Department of the School of Communication and Media Studies to draw attention to effects of breast cancer among students and residents of Winneba and the country as a whole.
“We as communication department believe that together we can help kickout breast cancer and Pinktober is a campaign platform that will be dedicated creating awareness and educating people about the risks and effects of breast cancer,” she said.
On her part, the lead Medical Officer from the Trust Hospital, Ms Louisa Odei urged women to makeself-examination of the breast a regular feature since it helps early detection of the disease.
She noted that constant examination of the breast was one of the surest ways of dealing with breast cancer effectively.
Ms Odei explained that through regular examination of the breast, one was able to detect any anomaly for quick medical intervention.
“Once breast cancer is detected at the early stages, it can be dealt with and dealt with effectively. It is important that we take self-screening of our breast seriously since that was the means by which we can detect any form of abnormality and also seek quick medical care,” she emphasised.
She also took participants through the risk factors and predisposed conditions that could lead to breast cancer and urged women especially to desist from unhealthy practices.
FROM CLIFF EKUFUL, WINNEBA
